February Superfood: Dark Chocolate

Hey Guys! It’s Mackenzie, one of the wellness interns for Chartwells. Love is in the air and it smells like chocolate! February is here, and this months superfood is dark chocolate.

That’s right, I’m telling you that chocolate can be good for you! In moderation, dark chocolate possesses a bunch of health benefits so you don’t have to feel TOO guilty about eating an entire box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day.

The primary ingredient in dark chocolate is Cocoa, which is actually the seed from the fruit of the cocoa tree. Cocoa is responsible for filling this sweet treat with free radical-fighting antioxidants, known as flavonoids.

Flavonoids are also thought to help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and reduce other risk factors for heart disease.

The recommended serving for dark chocolate is 1 oz per day.But to get all these awesome benefits, be sure the chocolate is 40-70% cacao!

To celebrate this months superfood, I got to hang out with Chef Mandy from Brough Commons to make Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles. Yum!

We started out by mashing a ripe avocado. A typical truffle recipe uses heavy cream for a fat, but in this healthier spin avocado is substituted in its place. I know it sounds weird, but I promise you can’t even taste the avocado.

The next step was to melt the dark chocolate. After it melted, we added in the mashed avocado, brown sugar, salt, and some cocoa powder.

After everything is combined, the truffle mixture had to be placed in the refrigerator until it was the texture of cookie dough.

The last step was to scoop the mixture with a melon baller and roll the truffles in a coating of cocoa powder.

These chocolatey treats are quick and easy to make, but packed with rich and indulgent flavor. Because I know you’ll want to try these, there’s a copy of the recipe below! I’m also giving you all a free printable as a valentine. You can download that here!